Laidlaw Scholar Alumna at Oxford University's Saïd Business School, I'm often found at the piano🎹, mesmerized in a theatre🎭, or painting away the night with friends🎨.  If our paths align in interests or work, why not connect? Ping me, and let's connect on LinkedIn.

I am passionate about creating an inclusive sense of belonging for students, leadership development, harm reduction, and helping students identify their version of success.  I have worked in higher education for the last eight years in different functional areas, including identity-based advocacy, orientation, transition and retention, fraternity and sorority life, and leadership development. I have a B.A. from Willamette University in American Ethnic Studies and History and a M.S. in Educational Administration with an emphasis in Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education from Texas A&M University (Gig 'em!).  I spend my free time fly-fishing, hiking, watching anything in the Star Wars universe, reading, browsing record stores, going to concerts, and searching for the best flat white in NE England!

About Me My name is Muhammed and I'm currently studying for my Bachelor's degree in Economics with Management at Durham University. Sustainability is a lifelong passion of mine, and I'm especially interested in exploring circular economy solutions. Areas of Focus For my final year research project, I'm analysing circular business models being adopted by small and medium enterprises across the UK. I'm looking specifically at capabilities in areas like supply chain management, manufacturing techniques, waste reduction strategies, and designing for the long-term. Research Goals By highlighting real case studies of circular SMEs, my aim is to identify best practices that can help more companies make the transition. I want to provide actionable insights for policymakers and businesses seeking to build a stronger, greener local economy. Additional Interests In my spare time I enjoy learning about new technologies like AI and blockchain that could enable greater circularity. I'm also passionate about spreading awareness of sustainability issues to help drive societal change. Get In Touch I'd love to discuss circular innovations with anyone interested in supporting this growing movement. Please feel free to reach out if you'd like to chat or have any feedback on my research. I'm always looking to learn more!

I study Physics and Chemistry, and undertook research in synthetic and analytical inorganic chemistry. The aim of my project was to optimise the carbon dioxide adsorption behaviour (by optimising pore structure changes, gating effects and pore sizes) of merlinoite (zeolite) molecular sieves, for use in carbon capture in industry. This included development of reliable synthetic routes for merlinoites and developing an analytical model for their kinetic adsorption behaviour. The work will hopefully lead to further work, producing practical results which can be implemented to make gas purification in industrial processes, natural gas upgrading and waste processing more environmentally friendly. My Leadership in Action programme involved working with Grupo PROMESA on the circular economy by working on their "Recilcando x un Techo" recycling scheme in Mexico City, partnered with Make Sense Americas. My future research interests lie at the interface between physics and chemistry, particularly in solid state chemistry and in developing and using novel analytical techniques. I am interested in materials engineering, particularly within the energy sector, for example in carbon capture, nuclear fusion energy, and renewables. I also have a recent interest in patent law. Outside of studying and research, I have keen interests in writing fiction, amateur rocketry/aeronautics, cookery and philosophy. I play tennis, football and chess.

I am currently at Durham University studying Combined Honours in Social Sciences focusing on Politics, IR and French. My foremost interests are in the politics of identity, inequality and polarisation, reflected in my research project exploring Durham's colonialist history and the ongoing effects today. This is titled "Absence/presence of Durham’s Black history: Exploring the Black and/or colonial history of Durham University". I am Head of Events for 'Walk On ', Durham's sustainable and diverse student fashion show raising money for FareShare NorthEast which helps tackle food poverty. I have also been a SolidariTee representative, fundraising for the non-profit organisation which provides legal aid to refugees. I am a keen debater and also enjoy playing the piano, cello and singing.  Following completion of my degree, I am looking to do a law conversion course.

Alex was the Programme Director of the Laidlaw Scholars Leadership and Research Programme from September 2021 - May 2024.  Prior to joining the Laidlaw Foundation Alex spent over a decade at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, where he most recently managed the university’s Laidlaw Scholars Programme. In addition, Alex taught leadership courses and guest-lectured internationally on the subjects of strategy and leadership. A bilingual speaker, dual national and keen traveller, Alex has lived, visited and worked in several countries around the world. During this time, he has had a unique opportunity to encounter and explore different cultures and working environments, experiencing first-hand what good leadership can achieve. His passion for this topic is driven by these experiences and a desire to challenge people to unlock their full leadership potential. Alex holds an MBA from the Open University and a Master of Research in Management from the University of St Andrews. He has also obtained Associate Fellow status with the Higher Education Academy. In his spare time, Alex is an avid skier and volunteers with a local guide dog organisation.

Hello :) I am a year 3 student in the University of Hong Kong, studying Bachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Sciences.

Hey! I am Izzy and I am part of the 2022 cohort of Laidlaw Scholars at the University of Leeds. I study BSc Economics and I am interested in mental health, health economics and health policy. I am excited to have a career that allows me to explore my interests further and I am always open to chat! My research project involves undertaking a literature review and analysing responses to surveys completed by students on their sense of belonging and engagement at university. I hope my research can help students settle into university better so that they can reach their potential :)

Hi everybody. I am Mateo. I am an Experimental Physics graduate from the University of St Andrews. I am a curious, talkative and reflective individual with a love for telling and hearing stories. I am from Peru, but have moved around quite a bit having lived in Equatorial Guinea, England and now Scotland. I consider having such a multicultural background a very nourishing and essential part of my being. Consequentially, I love travelling and learning languages, and I am always happy to connect with people from all walks of life and parts of the world. When I am not busy demystifying the rules of the universe, I enjoy dancing, cooking, walking and analysing movies. I also love programming and its applications for simulating real-world physics and processing large amounts of day-to-day data. In June, I will be graduating with an Integrated Masters in Physics, however, I aspire to develop professionally outside of academia possibly in the field of data analytics. I am happy to connect with any Scholars! 

Hi, I'm Grace, a second-year Geography BSc student at Durham University, To me, sustainability is not just about maintaining an ecological balance, but also achieving a social one. I want to be a part of the movement to achieve this.  Before starting university, I knew I wanted to have a career in sustainable agriculture, as it combines two industries that fascinated me. As a rapidly growing field, it has the potential to help secure the future and make sure that sufficient nutrition is available in all corners of the world. It is important to me that my future career has an active role in innovating resilient agricultural practices and creating a sustainable food production system, whilst advocating the importance of sustainability and mitigating the impacts of global warming. With that being said, I knew that being part of the Laidlaw Research and Leadership Programme would give me an incredible opportunity to develop my leadership skills. Feeding off the passion and enthusiasm that fellow scholars also embrace I'll be able to further my knowledge in a structured and beneficial practice, with firsthand experience as part of my LiA. I have now completed my Laidlaw Scholar journey, however I know my journey to becoming a great leader will never truly be over... Please feel free to reach out, I would love to chat!

Hey! I am a current leadership & research scholar, focusing on homelessness and democracy. Before beginning my degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Durham University, I volunteered for homelessness organizations, working alongside public and private sector to tackle homelessness and health inequalities. Alongside this, I have worked in construction, and have maintained my interest via gardening at university, and my woodwork business KarhuKraft. I love all things sport (especially table tennis), nature, and history! Feel free to get in touch. 

Hi, I'm Hannah and i'm a Biological Sciences student at Durham University. My research project was focused on exploring the neuroscience of bumble bees and their visual and olfactory attraction to flowers, and identifying differences between sex and species. My LiA is with Make_Sense Americas and is a collaboration with a start-up recycling plant, processing hard to recycle materials and trying to achieve a more circular economy. During my free time I love reading, improving my level of Spanish and learning how to code.

I am an MMath Mathematics student at the University of St Andrews, focusing on Applied Maths and Statistics. I have long been passionate about Mathematics, History, and Languages, studying Russian alongside my Mathematics degree. I also care strongly about education, dedicating much of my time to tutoring different levels of Mathematics to various children and teens of different ages. Through Laidlaw, I have recognised that my key strengths of confidence, communication, and curiosity can be applied to leadership and that there is no archetypal leader. 

Hi👋🏾 I’m Pearls I am a final year Law student at the University of Leeds. I recently completed a placement year at The Walt Disney Company as a CPGP Contract Management Intern (hence the 'industrial' next to my degree title) My first-year research project looked at the way game-based learning could be incorporated into Multi-Academy Trusts (aka MATs) to improve the academic attainment and classroom engagement of GCSE-year black students. My Leadership-in-Action project was with MakeSense and focused on empowering minority communities within Mexico City.

Hello all! I did my Laidlaw Programme at Durham University between 2019-2021. My research project focused on evaluating the immigration and asylum system of the EU through a case study of the 2015 immigration crisis. Following the completion of my undergraduate LLB degree I moved to London to pursue my postgraduate LLM study at Queen Mary University of London.

Hi I'm Jamie. I am a 22 year old Mechanical Engineering Student from Trinity College Dublin My project "Thermoeconomic analysis of a Prototype Vapour Compression Distillation Device" aims to combat metal poisining in the developing world. I'm happiest when building. I've built everything from engines to robots to water filters. I have a keen interest in 3D printing, robotics and vehicle dynamics. I also co-founded Vaporly and have an avid interest in entrepreneurship. If you are working to solve a hard problem I'd love to hear about it! Shoot me a message or email anytime. 

Hello! I was Laidlaw scholar in 2019, and I studied national, regional, and local identity in northern Tajikistan through the lens of women's fashion.  For a year after graduating, I worked for the UN Mine Action Service which removes landmines from conflict and post-conflict regions. I then worked for the Laidlaw Foundation 2021-22 and completed a Master's Degree in Anthropology and Development Management at the London School of Economics. Now I'm working with the UN on innovative finance for biodiversity conservation, focusing on marine ecosystems. Please feel free to reach out on the network, on LinkedIn, or by email. I'm always happy to meet new people and chat.

Hey everyone, I'm Phoebe !  I am an undergrad for Durham in the 2021 cohort.  My field of research is sociology looking at access to higher education programmes and widening participation.